Random idea for someone to take and run with:

My site is run off a WordPress installation.  I downloaded the software, uploaded it to my GoDaddy server, set it all up, and here you are reading it.  I was able to change the way it looks, added functions that weren’t built-in and even linked into other sites (like Flickr).  It would be really cool if someone created an open source version of iTunes.  Not the program, mind you, the store.  You can either host it on someone else’s server (like WordPress does with their blogs), or you can download the software and upload to your own server.  You have built-in players for mp3s (or whatever format you choose), video players, security, payment processing, etc.

I know they already have shopping carts & estore software out there, but this would totally open, totally free.  Any artist can download it, post on their own site, and be able to sell MP3s, videos, and any other digital stuff they want from their own site, securely and worry free.  They could choose payment plans (like $x amount per year for any new recordings and videos that come out, or autobuy any new recordings/videos released, or just buy one track at a time).

They could customize the way it looks, pricing, what they actually sell (mp3s, DRm’ed recordings, AACs, FLAC, videos, etc), and even write plugins that offer additional capabilities, like linking to your stores on iTunes, Amei Street, eMusic, etc.

To borrow from Henny Youngman, “Take my idea, please!”